The Great Train Story
The Great Train Story is a popular exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. This HO scale layout is one of the largest in its area, and depicts the 2206 mile route of Amtrak’s trains no. 7 and 8, the Empire Builders, in two variations, one for each side of the layout, from Chicago to Seattle. There are plenty of other trains, mostly BNSF trains on the triple-track main line, as well as a simulation of the ”L” rapid transit lines of the Chicago Transit Authority, a Metra commuter train, and a South Shore Line interurban train (possibly the last of its kind in America!) History The museum had a predecessor layout called the Museum and Santa Fe. It had O scale track, and was 50x60 feet. 6 decades of trains made the visitors of the era want to constantly come back, making the M&SF a pretty clever idea. The M&SF has a double-track main line, with a yard and probably some branches. It also had a model of the Grand Canyon and some industries, and later a hump yard in the middle. By the time the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe merged with the Burlington Northern to form BNSF, it was time for the M&SF to end operations to make way for the new layout, The Great Train Story. The journey Chicago: Many skyscrapers are the first things you see when you enter the transportation exhibit, along with several planes, including warplanes and a 727, 4-4-0 no. 999 of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, a working replica of Stephenson’s Rocket, and some streetcars. In the middle of the huge city is the CTA “L” subway, where a train traverses clockwise on the Loop, a busy part of the system. There’s also a spur to Bungalow Square, and an underground scene. In the middle of the city is the famous Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), and there’s also a CowParade. Union Station is right on the edge of downtown. Indiana Dunes: The South Shore line goes to this popular beach from Corwith. In the middle of the line from Chicago to ID is the blast furnace, the steel mill, and the auto assembly plant, adjacent to an intermodal facility and another yard. The ID station is based on the Beverly Shores station. Prairie Town: A remote town in the edge of the layout. Another short track goes through it, but the town only. It belongs to the Dinner Train, pulled by vintage locomotives. Adjacent to the town, the tracks lead to a grain mill, which is between that and Lake Snowden. Snowden Valley: After crossing the lake, the main line does a U-turn under a bridge modelled after two bridges; an arch bridge at Stoney Creek, BC, and a truss bridge at Poughkeepsie, NY. A line above goes on a figure 8 loop, including the truss/arch bridge. Mineral Springs: A 1950’s-like town with an Amtrak station and a railfan-themed pub. Beside the town, another bridge begins to separate the closer track from the rest of the main line to Seattle. Cascadia: Beside Mineral Springs is the apple orchards at Cascadia. From here, a branch line connects the main line to the orchards. Seattle: The model of this city is smaller than the model of Chicago. One of the more popular towers in the city is the Space Needle. There is also the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). King Street Station is at the edge of the city. Also included is the Alaskan Way Viaduct towards the waterfront, where boats of all kinds come and go. Sap Creek: A logging area where lumberjacks cut trees, which are turned to lumber where they are then loaded onto trains. A branch line and a yard connect the main line to the forest. Glacier National Park: In here, there is an Amtrak station that drops off and loads adventurers, hikers, kayakers, campers, etc. On the top of a nearby mountain, a camper is seen attacked by a wild bear. Plainview: In here, there is a coal mine, where coal is loaded onto hoppers. Nearby, a diesel shop makes sure the diesel locomotives on the railway are spick and span. There’s also a little town. Corwith Yard: The intermodal terminal adjacent to the South Shore tracks. This is where containers are loaded and unloaded into and out of trains. Bungalow Square: a fictional suburb near Chicago, where a Metra train navigates around on its own track, next to the main line. A CTA “L” station connects here with Chicago. Buttons Several push-buttons are scattered throughout the layout, controlling various functions of all kinds. At Chicago, a button activates an operating drawbridge over the Chicago River, despite no moving boats. At Sap Creek, you push a button, and a lumberjack cuts an evergreen tree, making it fall to the ground as the word, “TIMBER!” is shouted. Near Glacier, the visitors find out how to build a tunnel. When one presses that button, they see a simulation of a crew blasting their way through. Seattle has two buttons at the waterfront. One button activates a sound effect of a boat horn blasting, with an echo effect. The other Seattleite button operates a crane that loads a container onto a well car (well, not really...). The last button controls the Metra train on its own track.